diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js
index f7db7c05468..83491bd8717 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ function byName(a, b) {
  * 'bootstrap.js'.
  *
  * @param {string} basedir  The directory to scan
- *
+ * @param {Object} [options]
+ * @param {boolean} [options.dev] whether to include devDependencies
  * @returns {SwingSetConfig} a swingset config object: {
  *   bootstrap: "bootstrap",
  *   vats: {
@@ -87,7 +88,8 @@ function byName(a, b) {
  *
  * Swingsets defined by scanning a directory in this manner define no devices.
  */
-export function loadBasedir(basedir) {
+export function loadBasedir(basedir, options = {}) {
+  const { dev = false } = options;
   /** @type { SwingSetConfigDescriptor } */
   const vats = {};
   const subs = fs.readdirSync(basedir, { withFileTypes: true });
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ export function loadBasedir(basedir) {
     // scanning thing is something we decide we want to have long term.
     bootstrapPath = undefined;
   }
-  const config = { vats };
+  const config = { vats, dev };
   if (bootstrapPath) {
     vats.bootstrap = {
       sourceSpec: bootstrapPath,
@@ -385,7 +387,9 @@ export async function initializeSwingset(
         validateBundleDescriptor(desc, groupName, name);
         if (desc.sourceSpec) {
           names.push(name);
-          presumptiveBundles.push(bundleSource(desc.sourceSpec));
+          presumptiveBundles.push(
+            bundleSource(desc.sourceSpec, { dev: config.dev }),
+          );
         } else if (desc.bundleSpec) {
           names.push(name);
           presumptiveBundles.push(fs.readFileSync(desc.bundleSpec));
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
index bc65ed970fc..24862413e52 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@
 /**
  * @typedef {Object} SwingSetConfig a swingset config object
  * @property {string} [bootstrap]
+ * @property {boolean} [dev] indicates that `devDependencies` of the
+ * surrounding `package.json` should be accessible to bundles.
  * @property { ManagerType } [defaultManagerType]
  * @property {SwingSetConfigDescriptor} [vats]
  * @property {SwingSetConfigDescriptor} [bundles]
diff --git a/packages/sharing-service/test/swingsetTests/sharingService/test-sharing.js b/packages/sharing-service/test/swingsetTests/sharingService/test-sharing.js
index d32b55baefc..b2f65490eb4 100644
--- a/packages/sharing-service/test/swingsetTests/sharingService/test-sharing.js
+++ b/packages/sharing-service/test/swingsetTests/sharingService/test-sharing.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const dirname = path.dirname(filename);
 
 async function main(basedir, argv) {
   const dir = path.resolve(`${dirname}/..`, basedir);
-  const config = await loadBasedir(dir);
+  const config = await loadBasedir(dir, { dev: true });
   config.defaultManagerType = 'xs-worker';
   const controller = await buildVatController(config, argv);
   await controller.run();